Does anyone know how to collimate binoculars? I have a pair of 7x50's that must have been dropped and is badly in need of serious collimation. For years I've taken my binos to Gallenson's, but the cost is steep and now that I live in Mt. Pleasant it isn't very convenient. If it's something that one can do without special equipment, I would like to know - I would be willing to try. Alternately, if anyone on the list can do it for a reasonable fee, I'd much rather trust my equipment to one of you than to Gallenson's. On another topic, I seem to have lost my green laser pointer. If anyone has a cheap 5mw laser that they would like to part with, let me know, especially if you will be going to Bryce Cyn this week. Thanks, Kim
Kim, I am going to Bryce on Wednesday-Saturday and I have two 5mw green lasers. I would be glad to loan you one for the weekend if you would like. Let me know Rodger Fry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kim" <kimharch@cut.net> To: "'Utah Astronomy'" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:00 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation
Does anyone know how to collimate binoculars? I have a pair of 7x50's that must have been dropped and is badly in need of serious collimation. For years I've taken my binos to Gallenson's, but the cost is steep and now that I live in Mt. Pleasant it isn't very convenient. If it's something that one can do without special equipment, I would like to know - I would be willing to try. Alternately, if anyone on the list can do it for a reasonable fee, I'd much rather trust my equipment to one of you than to Gallenson's.
On another topic, I seem to have lost my green laser pointer. If anyone has a cheap 5mw laser that they would like to part with, let me know, especially if you will be going to Bryce Cyn this week.
Thanks,
Kim
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Thanks, Rodger - yes, I would appreciate borrowing one. I'm still not convinced that mine is lost forever, so not having to buy one right now would help. See you there. Thanks again, Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Rodger C. Fry Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 10:03 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation
Kim, I am going to Bryce on Wednesday-Saturday and I have two 5mw green lasers. I would be glad to loan you one for the weekend if you would like. Let me know
Rodger Fry ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kim" <kimharch@cut.net> To: "'Utah Astronomy'" <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 9:00 PM Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation
Does anyone know how to collimate binoculars? I have a pair of 7x50's that must have been dropped and is badly in need of serious collimation. For years I've taken my binos to Gallenson's, but the cost is steep and now that I live in Mt. Pleasant it isn't very convenient. If it's something that one can do without special equipment, I would like to know - I would be willing to try. Alternately, if anyone on the list can do it for a reasonable fee, I'd much rather trust my equipment to one of you than to Gallenson's.
On another topic, I seem to have lost my green laser pointer. If anyone has a cheap 5mw laser that they would like to part with, let me know, especially if you will be going to Bryce Cyn this week.
Thanks,
Kim
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Yes. That said, I don't own a collimator, which is required for a precision alignment. But I can get them close enough that you might not notice any residual miscollimation. The procedure is on cloudynights.com; you could probably do it yourself if the prism clusters are of the same design. The chances are good that only one side is mis-aligned. Just be sure you choose the mis-aligned side to adjust. On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:00 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Does anyone know how to collimate binoculars?
Thanks, Chuck. How complicated is a collimator, and can it be fabricated by a DIYer?
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 10:49 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation
Yes.
That said, I don't own a collimator, which is required for a precision alignment. But I can get them close enough that you might not notice any residual miscollimation.
The procedure is on cloudynights.com; you could probably do it yourself if the prism clusters are of the same design. The chances are good that only one side is mis-aligned. Just be sure you choose the mis-aligned side to adjust.
On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:00 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Does anyone know how to collimate binoculars?
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Not complicated, but it's not something you can bang together in a weekend from parts from the hardware store. Once built, you have to callibrate it, as well. Requires a light source, the right optics, a bench rail, etc. For binos you properly need a dual setup, so you essentially have to build two. Can be done with a single, but it's much more time consuming and repetitive. This weekend I can dig out my old copy of Sam Brown, and scan the collimator section for you, if you'd like. On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 11:23 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Thanks, Chuck. How complicated is a collimator, and can it be fabricated by a DIYer?
I know I don't have the expertise and I probably don't have the time, either, to make something. Sounds like it may be best to continue to send my binos to Gallenson's unless anyone can suggest another alternative. Thanks for the info. Kim
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 9:17 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation
Not complicated, but it's not something you can bang together in a weekend from parts from the hardware store. Once built, you have to callibrate it, as well. Requires a light source, the right optics, a bench rail, etc. For binos you properly need a dual setup, so you essentially have to build two. Can be done with a single, but it's much more time consuming and repetitive.
This weekend I can dig out my old copy of Sam Brown, and scan the collimator section for you, if you'd like.
On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 11:23 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Thanks, Chuck. How complicated is a collimator, and can it be fabricated by a DIYer?
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Doing it without the collimator isn't bad, it just takes longer. You know you're done when your eyes don't try to pull the images together, they just "snap" into alignment. It's better if the user is the one doing the alignment. Basically just two adjustments, in most cases, to one prism in the cluster of one side. Didn't University Optics used to do this service? Jan Seyfried might not want to touch a "cheap" Chinese binocular though, lol. On Wed, Jun 17, 2009 at 9:26 AM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
I know I don't have the expertise and I probably don't have the time, either, to make something. Sounds like it may be best to continue to send my binos to Gallenson's unless anyone can suggest another alternative.
Texas Nautical is very good at binocular collimation but you run the risk of it being banged in the return mail and being back at square one. -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Kim Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 11:23 PM To: 'Utah Astronomy' Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation Thanks, Chuck. How complicated is a collimator, and can it be fabricated by a DIYer?
-----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy- bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Chuck Hards Sent: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 10:49 PM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] Bino collimation
Yes.
That said, I don't own a collimator, which is required for a precision alignment. But I can get them close enough that you might not notice any residual miscollimation.
The procedure is on cloudynights.com; you could probably do it yourself if the prism clusters are of the same design. The chances are good that only one side is mis-aligned. Just be sure you choose the mis-aligned side to adjust.
On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:00 PM, Kim <kimharch@cut.net> wrote:
Does anyone know how to collimate binoculars?
Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.slas.us/gallery2/main.php Visit the Wiki: http://www.utahastronomy.com No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 8.5.339 / Virus Database: 270.12.68/2175 - Release Date: 06/16/09 17:55:00
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participants (4)
-
Chuck Hards -
Don J. Colton -
Kim -
Rodger C. Fry